Garden of Dreams: Madison Square Garden 125 Years

(New York, NY) Madison Square Garden has witnessed the most remarkable array of sports and entertainment events of any place in the world. Known as “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” the Garden is home to the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty and to events as diverse as concerts by Madonna, a visit by Pope John Paul II, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the 2004 Republican National Convention. It has long been a magnet for fans that come to express their passion for teams, athletes, performers, and statesmen. The remarkable legacy of Madison Square Garden is celebrated in GARDEN OF DREAMS: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN 125 YEARS (Stewart, Tabori, & Chang, November, $35.00).

GARDEN OF DREAMS: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN 125 YEARS is a visual celebration of the illustrious 125-year history of this center of entertainment, sports and community in New York City. More than 150 photographs by Madison Square Garden photographer George Kalinsky as well as additional historical photos from the Garden archives bring to life the arena’s most glorious moments. From the Ali-Frazier “Fight of the Century” in 1971, to the Rangers first Stanley Cup win in fifty four years in 1994; from Marilyn Monroe’s legendary rendition of “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy, to John Lennon’s last appearance in concert, from the Concert for Bangladesh to the Concert for New York City, this volume captures the complete history of Madison Square Garden.

Thirty essays by such luminaries as Billy Crystal, Christopher Reeve, Spike Lee, Joan Jett, Bill Bradley, Mary Tyler Moore, George Foreman, and Tim Robbins bring to life the emotional connection between the Garden and its visitors. In his introduction, writer Pete Hamill details the colorful history of the Garden and shows why it holds such a powerful place in the hearts and minds of those who have set foot inside.

GARDEN OF DREAMS: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN 125 YEARS
Photographs by George Kalinsky, Introduction by Pete Hamill
200 pages, 150 color illustrations, 50 black-and-white illustrations
$35.00
ISBN: 1-85479-343-0
November 2004
Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
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Memories of the Garden from Garden of Dreams: Madison Square Garden 125 Years:

“As official photographer for Madison Square Garden for the past 38 years, I’ve had the best seat in the house from which to observe and record history in the making. The photo I took of Pope John Paul II holding up a six-year-old girl was seen all over the world. I photographed Willis Reed dramatically limping onto the court to lead the Knicks to their first NBA title….I’ve been honored to be part of the legendary history of Madison Square Garden. In my time, I’ve been fortunate enough to record moments and events that have had a huge cultural impact on people all over the world. I photographed George Harrison at the Concert for Bangladesh and, thirty years later, Billy Crystal, among many others, at the Concert for New York City. I photographed Wayne Gretzky in his last game, Michael Jordan competing in classic play-off games against Patrick Ewing and the Knicks, and three political conventions: my fourth will be this year.” ---George Kalinsky, Madison Square Garden photographer

“I was 8 years old when I started attending basketball games at the old Garden with my dad, and we sat upstairs in the nose bleed seats. That’s all we could afford and that was fine with us…I was in the Garden on May 8, 1970, as I watched Willis Reed limp onto the court in the seventh game of the 1970 NBA championship series. I will always remember that magic moment and the electricity in the Garden.” ---Spike Lee

“People have often asked me what was the biggest thrill—winning the two championships or the three terms in the U.S. Senate. I consider being elected to the U.S. Senate three times by the people of New Jersey as the biggest honor in my life…But as for my biggest thrill in life, along with the birth of our daughter, it was unquestionably winning two championships for the Knicks in 1970 and 1973. On the court, standing, with fists raised in the air, chills coursing up my spine, and a smile that was so wide it ached, I realized that we were the best in the world.” ---Senator Bill Bradley

“In the championship Finals, Willis went down with a painful hip injury in Game Five and so did the hopes of the fans who longed for that first championship. He didn’t play in the sixth game and wasn’t on the court for warm-ups of the deciding seventh game. Without the captain, the Wilt Chamberlain-led Lakers had to be big favorites. Then a jot of electricity shot through the Garden. Willis walked onto the floor dressed to play. There was hope! Willis didn’t play much that night, but the team picked him up. When the game was over, the players poured on to the floor, swept up in the emotion of actually wining a championship and basking in the waves of emotion from more than 19,000 fans. It had been a magical season and I had the privilege of watching it from the best seat I would ever have in the Garden.” ---Ed Bradley